What is antisemitism?
Anti-Semitism is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews.
What it’s not.
It’s not Anti-zionism.
It’s not opposition to Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people.
It’s not opposition to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
It is not challenges to Israel’s Old Testament and political origins.
It is not opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel.
It is not protesting Israel’s murderous violence against Palestinian men, women, children, and babies.
It is not giving a speech supporting Palestinians.
It is not giving a speech condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
It is not calls for disinvestment from Israel.
It is not support for competing non-Jewish states such as Iran and other Muslim countries.
It is not demanding a free, equal, UN-recognized state for Palestinians.
It is not demanding all illegal Israeli settlements be removed from Palestinian territory.
I am sure readers can come up with other things that are not anti-Semitism, yet people who voice them are often called anti-Semites.
Anti-Semites are hostile to, prejudiced towards, or they discriminate against Jews. I do none of these things. I do, however, oppose Israel’s war against the Palestinian people, the building of settlements on Palestinian land, and the United States continued financial support of Israel’s military. I support calls for disinvestment from Israel and the immediate establishment of a Palestinian state. Holding these positions does not make me an anti-Semite. Zionists and Christian Fundamentalists who think the Bible prophesies the establishment of the state of Israel who continue to call me an anti-Semite do so out of either ignorance or deliberate attempts to smear and denigrate anyone who opposes Israel’s political policies and military violence.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Well said. One can point out the atrocities committed by the Israeli government without being an anti-semite. The government of a country is different from the individuals. Heck, a lot of Jewish people worldwide are not Israeli citizens and hold zero culpability in the situation in Gaza.
Yes, true that, Obstacle Chick. And often in the heat of anger over what happened in Gaza and continues to, people do forget that both Israelis and Arabs, or Palestinians, ARE Semitic . One of the worst things to happen to that part of the world is that effing Netanyahu!! He should be forced from office, and if the Biden Administration could bring that one thing about, it would calm things down a lot. Russia is taking advantage of this situation, and has warned we’re close to a military confrontation with them. It’s just unfortunate for this planet that these two groups are half- brothers in lethal competition for controlling the region, and all the leaders,Hamas, the PA, and this jerk Netanyahu have all the money, and don’t accept democracy,and the decent conditions that are part of that system, corruption and brutal living standards fuel this, and it’s ignored. I fear that with the May 14 Anniversary of Israel coming up in two weeks from Wednesday, it’s really going to go nuts there. It looks to be, that Netanyahu is trying to bring on a major war,and get us sucked into it. Is he following someone’s directive, like the religious parties who want a crisis that brings the Messiah,and for Muslims, the Madhi ?? The media isn’t addressing such crucial facts.